Lymphedema is a chronic swelling condition that can arise from the damage or removal of lymph vessels and lymph nodes during cancer therapy. Being one of the most common and significant side-effects of breast cancer treatment, awareness of breast cancer related lymphedema is growing amongst health care practitioners and cancer…
Exercise therapy is considered one of the pillars of Combined (or Complex) Decongestive Therapy, the gold-standard therapy for treating the chronic swelling condition known as lymphedema. The working assumption among therapists has been that exercise therapy can act to decrease limb volume in combination with a decongestive therapy program. Therapists…
The chronic swelling condition known as Secondary Lymphedema arises due to damage of the lymphatic system (typically as a side-effect of cancer treatment) which decreases the ability of the system to drain excess tissue fluid back into the blood stream. There is currently no cure for lymphedema, which must instead…
The damage and/or removal of lymph nodes is a common side-effect of cancer diagnosis and treatment. This can result in the insufficient clearance of lymphatic fluid, and manifestation of a chronic swelling condition known as lymphedema. So what can be done about this? “Direct” surgical reconstruction methods are being explored…
Lymphedema is a chronic condition that afflicts up to 30% of women treated for breast cancer. Damage to a patient’s lymphatic system via lymph node removal and/or irradiation during cancer treatment can cause inadequate lymphatic fluid clearance, and the chronic swelling characteristic of lymphedema. Given that breast reconstructive surgery post-mastectomy…
Dragon boat racing for breast cancer has become an international phenomenon. Since the first boat of breast cancer survivors began paddling at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1996, breast cancer teams have taken up paddles in countries all over the world. With international meets happening regularly (the next…
Chronic lymphedema is a type of swelling that typically manifests in an arm or leg, due to the accumulation of lymph fluid. This accumulation is a result of damage to a patient’s lymphatic system, typically through lymph node removal or irradiation during cancer therapy, or as a congenital dysfunction. Chronic…
